Australian Olympian Izzi Batt-Doyle has set a new Australian marathon record in Chicago, obliterating Jess Stenson’s previous mark by 46 seconds.
Batt-Doyle said she was inspired by former record-holder Benita Willis on her way to a 2:20:38 finish that lowered her own personal best by two minutes.
Willis’s 2:22:36 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon stood as the Australian record for 16 years till Sinead Diver (2:21:34) lowered it in 2022, before Stenson (2:21:24) went quicker again in 2025.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
Now Batt-Doyle has lived up to her promise after a strong run of results on home soil in recent months.
The 31-year-old went through halfway in 1:10:29 and maintained a brilliant pace to complete a negative split, running the back half even quicker, as she secured the record and a sixth-place finish.
Batt-Doyle raised her arms in jubilation as she crossed the line before coming to terms with her achievement.
“I thought about Benita Willis out there and her incredible run of 2:22 in 2006 here in Chicago that stood for 18 years!! History,” Batt-Doyle wrote.
The emotional scenes continued when Batt-Doyle embraced her husband Riley Cocks, who ran with her the whole way and finished seconds behind.
Batt-Doyle has been to two Olympics as a 5000m runner, and ran the 10,000m at last year’s world championships, while building her legs in recent years to go all-in on the marathon.
Batt-Doyle’s previous best 2:22:59 came at the 2024 Valencia Marathon.
The South Australian ran 2:25:06 at the Boston Marathon earlier this year before recording four half-marathon wins in Australia between May and August, while she also paced at the Sydney Marathon.
Australia’s top athletes celebrated her new record — including the eclipsed Stenson.
“Congratulations Izzi. Enjoy the very well-earned celebrations in Chicago and we look forward to seeing you when you get home for more,” Stenson wrote.
“Congratulations Izzi! Phenomenal run … blistering pace over the marathon. Hard to comprehend this pace,” Gen Gregson wrote.
Commonwealth Games champion Rose Davies said: “She did it!!!!!!!!!”
Scotland’s Eilish McColgan also weighed in: “Woohoo!! Only a matter of time!”
Batt-Doyle now stands alone as Australia’s No.1 seed heading into the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The window opens in November.
Leanne Pompeani (30) and Caitlin Scott (29) are among the other rising stars pushing for selection against several experienced runners, including Sinead Diver, Ellie Pashley, Lisa Weightman and Eloise Wellings.
Stenson is back in training after giving birth to her third child in August while Gregson is currently pregnant with her third child.
Elsewhere in Chicago, Pat Tiernan was the top Australian man with a time of 2:15:18.
